Attributes of a configuration item record of a configuration management database (CMDB) are received. Based on the received attributes, a determination is made that the configuration item record belongs to a new child class and no longer belongs to a previously identified child class. While maintaining a same identifier in the configuration item record, a classification of the configuration item record is changed to the new child class including by adding one or more attributes of the new child class to the configuration item record and removing one or more attributes of the previously identified child class from the configuration item record.